​EU poised to let in new GM products, introduce non-health opt-outs

The EU is expected to permit over a dozen new genetically modified agricultural products into its market. Individual countries would reportedly be able to ban GM products, as long as they don’t challenge the science behind authorizations.

At the moment EU imports
around 58 GM products, mostly from the US. On April 22 at a
meeting of the Commissioner's College it is poised to introduce
13 more, including five soybean varieties, three GM maize, two
oilseed rape and three cotton, Feed Navigator reports.

The new products have passed through the EU's scientific
assessment and risk management process. Their introduction would
break an 18-month import approvals deadlock.

“With transatlantic trade talks ongoing, pressure has been
mounting from the biotech industry and the US government to break
open the EU market to GM imports and to speed up authorization
procedures,” he said.

The newspaper says 17 rather than 13 new GM products would be
allowed into EU markets.

The new European Commission rules say that future authorizations
would automatically follow approval of new strains by the
European Food and Safety Agency, streamlining the process,
indicates a proposed amendment published by Eurpolitics, the
European affairs publisher. But they would give individual
countries the right to opt out of new products the way they can
now opt out of GM seeds meant for cultivation.

“It will be up to each member state wanting to make use of
this ‘opt-out’ to develop this justification on a case-by-case
basis, taking into account the GMO in question, the type of
measure envisaged and the specific circumstances at national or
regional level that can justify such an opt-out,” the draft
said.

But the justification may not be based on health and
environmental issues under the new rules, as those concerns would
have already been addressed by EU’s checks. Opposition from
individual countries is “usually not based on science but on
other considerations reflecting the societal debate existing in
the country,” the draft explained.

The amendment is reportedly strongly supported by EU president
Jean-Claude Juncker and is expected to be adopted. Biotech
industry groups however are opposed to the measure.

“We fear that this approach would reverse the achievements of
the European customs union and the single market,” Gloria
Gabellini, deputy secretary general of the Coceral grain
importers federation, told The Guardian. “We have a single
market so if you import a product, it must be entitled to free
circulation.”

Greenpeace on its part said the restriction on what can justify
individual bans compromises the national government’s ability to
protect their citizens and environment when science behind
authorization was contested.